Weekly Update

QoS Reading : 1hr 1min
QoS Lab : 4hr 9min
CCIE Home Lab Setup : 1hr 17min
CCIE VOD : 24min
CCIE Audio : 27min

Total : 7hr 18min

Random QoS Notes

I just thought I would post these few notes I did up on the QoS labs I have been doing the last few days.


MQC (Modular QoS CLI) - aka CPS
Classify - the traffic in question is classified with: Access-list, IP Prec, DSCP, CoS, MPLS EXP bits, Another Class-map, frame-relay DE bit, 802.1Q or ISL CoS/Priority Values, Input Interface, Source/Destination MAC, RTP, any packet or NBAR.

Policy-map - is configured, references the Class-map and applies a certain policy to the traffic that was classified.

Service-policy - policy-map is applied to an interface either in or outbound direction using the service-policy.


To verify CPS: sh policy-map interface
R2(config)#do sh policy-map int s1/0.23

Serial1/0.23

Service-policy output: TASK1

Class-map: TASK1 (match-all)
0 packets, 0 bytes
5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps
Match: protocol telnet
QoS Set
precedence 1
Packets marked 0

After test telnet
Serial1/0.23

Service-policy output: TASK1

Class-map: TASK1 (match-all)
12 packets, 560 bytes
5 minute offered rate 0 bps, drop rate 0 bps
Match: protocol telnet
QoS Set
precedence 1
Packets marked 12


ip nbar port-map http tcp 1180

sh ip nbar port-map http
port-map http tcp 1180

TASK7 : Wording, Only one access-list should be configured to accomplish this task....does not mean only use access-lists to accomplish the task!!!




Priority Queuing - Interesting bit on using priority-list to prioritize http traffic

priority-list 1 protocol ip low list 100
priority-list 1 interface Loopback0 high
priority-list 1 protocol http medium
priority-list 1 protocol ip normal udp tftp
priority-list 1 default low

R1#debug priority
R1#telnet 131.1.12.2 80
Trying 131.1.12.2, 80 ... Open

*Mar 1 02:41:59.655: PQ: FastEthernet0/0: ip (defaulting) -> low
*Mar 1 02:41:59.659: PQ: FastEthernet0/0 output (Pk size/Q 60/3)
*Mar 1 02:41:59.663: PQ: FastEthernet0/0: ip (defaulting) -> low
*Mar 1 02:41:59.663: PQ: FastEthernet0/0 output (Pk size/Q 60/3)

I wonder why this doesn't work, maybe it is using nbar and it knows that the traffic is telnet? ---I think the http setting is that you can go within the http protocol and classify via specifics...

priority-list 1 protocol ip low list 100
priority-list 1 interface Loopback0 high
priority-list 1 protocol ip medium tcp 80
priority-list 1 protocol ip normal udp tftp
priority-list 1 default low

R1#telnet 131.1.12.2 80
Trying 131.1.12.2, 80 ... Open

*Mar 1 02:45:03.515: PQ: FastEthernet0/0: ip (tcp 80) -> medium
*Mar 1 02:45:03.515: PQ: FastEthernet0/0 output (Pk size/Q 60/1)
*Mar 1 02:45:03.523: PQ: FastEthernet0/0: ip (tcp 80) -> medium
*Mar 1 02:45:03.523: PQ: FastEthernet0/0 output (Pk size/Q 60/1)

Custom Queuing-

To apply to interface use custom-queue-list

To configure the bandwidth limits per queue, using 15000 as the base number for calculations
Queue-list 1 queue 1 byte-count 1500 for 10%

To match a url:
Match protocol http url blog.insomniacnetwork.com

CCIE Planning Resources

During the last month I have been concentrating on what it would take to pass the CCIE R/S Lab, and to develop a realistic plan of attack.

Where I have been doing my research:
-Groupstudy.com
-Techexams CCIE Forum - Especially Turgons blog
-IPExpert Psychology of the CCIE Lab - I found this extremely good and would highly recommend it.
-CCIE Lab Strategy: A Structured Approach - Pretty informative, recommended.
-IPExpert/Internetworkexpert free resources

What have I come up with?

I plan to get as much hands-on experience during my written prep as I can. Either using Foundations/Soup-to-Nuts or IEWB Vol I or IPExpert Vol I, isolating each technology and reading the books/student guides/section of CCIE Certification Guide. I hope to really dive deep during this period and really get to the base of each technology so that I can hopefully build a solid foundation.


Triage, continuous re-assessment on what is working during my study, where am I currently positioned and what do I need to modify going forward.


I am trying to learn how to properly take notes using the cornell approach and I might read a speed reading book, I am looking for anything to make my time studying worth more... On that same ntoe I am either looking to purchase a new tablet pc, or an UMPC to help me study either at home or on my commute. I am still weighing up the pro/cons on which would help more.


Sorry for the rambling, should be in bed but can't sleep!

Completed Foundation QoS Lab1

The tasks were fairly straight forward, although a couple of them threw me...and it was very nice getting back to working on labs instead of reading books!

I really liked the explanation of using the MQC, with the CPS strategy. Classify, Policy-map, Service-policy. It really helps when you have a brain freeze and can't remember which one to do first.

Going to hit the hay as it is 1:15am here and who knows when the baby will be up.


liquid

Update

So studying with the newborn isn't easy...but I have spent quite a bit of time planning my attack and setting up my lab for the CCIP->CCIE. I completed my setup of Dynamips on Ubuntu within VMware ESX, this is then trunked out to a Cisco 3750, which is then connected to 4 3560s. This will hopefully give me the perfect mix of virtual/physical to hopefully perform all the labs that I need. I am finishing the notes on the details and the steps required to that setup and hope to post this weekend. I do have a set of physical routers which I will configure and turn on when I actually get into the swing of things.

CCIE Lab Setup: 10 hrs
CCIE Planning: 4 hrs
QoS Lab : 3 hrs

Total Study time: 17 hrs

Cloud Computing

I have always been fascinated with the thought of "cloud computing" and couldn't wait for it to materialize into something useful. After using foldershare quite successfully, not exactly cloud computing but it would synchronize content between my devices which was great, but all my devices were gone I was still hosed.

Smugmug was next which is absolutely great for photo storage/distribution, my wife has continually freaked out that 99.9% of our photos are digital and could be lost. So this has worked great for the last 3-4 months, and I logged in the other day to upload some new photos and they had announced SmugVault...which is really cloud computing using amazon's backend! So I can finally upload all my ebooks and raw photos with complete confidence.

Finally Live Mesh, which is really showing promise...I just wish they would up the storage limit from 5gb!!!

Just thought I would post this semi off-topic post before crashing out.

Weekly Update

A little behind posting the weekly update, but with the birth of my second son on Monday...completely acceptable. No real study plans this week, maybe some QoS if I get a chance...

BGP Reading - 29min
CCDP - 8hrs 28min
CCIE Reading - 5hrs 7min
CCIE Planning - 4hrs 30min

Total 18hrs 34min

Passed ARCH, CCDP now!

Well I passed...not too tough after reading the student guides and doing all the case studies.

I really like all the design material, I was re-reading some of the student guide and I think they will become a great first step when I need to look at best practices for designing something. I already have a full access layer redesign planned for work. It will tie in with a big NAC deployment we are doing, so might as well do it right!

Now no "structured" study for awhile, although I am still planning on heading onto the CCIP soon. No clue which exam I want to tackle next.


liquid

Weekly Update

Countdown to the ARCH exam, taking it on Tuesday. I hope to take a half-day tomorrow to finish some of the case studies and work on more of the end of chapter reviews. Pretty focused this week on ARCH studies, although because of my recent dive into spanning-tree design topics I spotted a big hole in our LAN design at work. I was under the assumption (i know i know...) that it was a Looped-Square design, but it was a Loop-free inverted U. This didn't give us the failover times were are looking for, so I changed it to a looped-square with better results.

Hopefully I will be posting after successfully passing the ARCH exam on Tuesday.

BGP Reading 1hr 42min
CCDP 7hr 46min
CCIE Reading 4hr 57min

Total Time 14hr 55min


liquid

Weekly Update

I focused mostly on BGP studies, plus listening to the CCIE audio stuff to/from work. I did lab up some interesting L2tpv3 redundancy scenarios which I should be posting in the next few days.

BGP Lab - 1hr 36min
CCDP - 30min
CCIE Reading - 6hr 30min
Misc Lab - 2hr 30min

Total Time : 15hr 46min

Pretty slow week on study so far...

I have been slammed with a new NAC deployment at work which has kept me quite busy. The NAC deployment is picking up steam, and I think we will be ready for a small pilot next week. On the study front, just slogging along reading BGP and CCIE audio/video on the ipod.


Got a good tip about thinking about access lists on vlan interfaces. BE THE SWITCH, IN from the VLAN, OUT is to the VLAN. I have always gotten confused on that before.

liquid

Weekly Update

5 Hours BGP Reading
2 Hours BGP Lab
7 Hours CCDP Studies
9 1/2 Hours CCIE Reading

Total: 23 1/2 Hours

This is the first full week of using LionClock, so trying to gauge how much study I am actually doing. I think there is probably an hour +/- accuracy.

Weekly Progress Report

I just started using my tracker so I am hoping that I can get the numbers up to 17.5-20hrs per week. I did a little studying on MPLS for work and quite a bit on the ARCH Student Guides.

Not a bad start.


MPLS Reading - 2 hrs
MPLS Lab - 1 hr
CCDP - 5 hrs 40 min
CCIE Reading - 1 hr


Total - 9 hrs 40 min

Running tally of study time

I started to use LionClock on my Ipod to track my time that I study. I hope that this will give me an indication on how much I study, so hopefully I can get into a rythm so that I don't burn out!

I think I will do a weekly post to give my progress for the week and update the tracker on the right.

liquid

Additions to Library

Internet Routing Architectures

CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide

Security Monitoring with Cisco Security MARS

Cisco BGP-4 Command and Configuration Handbook

Slowly working my way through the CCIE Book List...